2023 Candidate Profile: David Henshaw Running For Senate District 40

ARLINGTON, VA — David Henshaw, who served for more than 24 years as an active-duty officer and pilot in the U.S. Air Force, is running for election in the newly drawn 40th District in the Nov. 7 general election.

A graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Henshaw currently is a first officer flying the Boeing 777 at a major airline and works part-time as a defense contractor supporting the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.

Henshaw is running against Sen. Barbara Favola in the general election for the Senate seat.

Because of mandated redistricting that happened after the 2020 Census, the new 40th District represents about 85 percent of Arlington and no other jurisdictions.

The general election ballot in Arlington County will also include races for two seats on the County Board, Commonwealth's Attorney, Sheriff, School Board, Clerk of the Court, Treasurer and Commissioner of Revenue.

Early voting for the general election began on Friday, Sept. 22. More information on how to vote is available from the Arlington County Elections Office.

Patch asked the two candidates running for the newly drawn 40th state Senate district to fill out a candidate questionnaire with the same questions. Here are Henshaw's responses:

Name

David Henshaw

Campaign website

https:/henshaw4va.com

Family

My wife Kristi and I have been married over 27 years and have 2 daughters, Madilyn and Morgan. Madilyn is a senior Business & Marketing major at Pepperdine University, and Morgan is a freshman Physics major at the University of Virginia. Both girls graduated from Yorktown High School in Arlington. Kristi was a stay-at-home mom while our girls were younger and then worked for five years as a Special Needs Assistant at an elementary school in Arlington. She now works part-time as a travel agent for Travelmation.

Education

I was a Distinguished Graduate from the US Air Force Academy in 1996 earning a Bachelor of Science in Physics and a minor in Japanese. I also graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2008 with a Master of Aeronautical Science in Aviation Aerospace Operations; and from National Defense University in 2017 with a Master of Science in National Resource Strategy.

Occupation

I am a First Officer flying the Boeing 777 at a major airline. I also work part-time as a defense contractor supporting the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.

I served for over 24 years as an active-duty officer and pilot in the US Air Force, deploying multiple times in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. I primarily flew the B-1B Lancer (a bomber) but also the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper (drones). The highlight of my career was commanding a squadron of 242 Airmen in 24/7 combat flight operations. I also served two staff tours at the Pentagon and retired in 2020 as a Colonel.

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

I am a political outsider and am reluctantly running for office in order to preserve and defend the basic freedoms we enjoy as citizens of our great country and Commonwealth. I have zero ambition to serve as a life-time politician, but am compelled to give Arlington voters a common-sense conservative alternative to the increasingly progressive and extreme policies of current Democrats.

My top priority in the next session of the General Assembly is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

My top priority in the next session of the General Assembly is to protect the sanctity of the family by expanding the law to explicitly protect the rights of parent’s vis-a-vis our public schools. Specifically, I advocate for requiring schools to notify parents if their child is experiencing gender dysphoria; providing safeguards to protect children from objectionable material; and preventing the teaching of social justice and critical race theory ideologies.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidate?

My opponent, Senator Favola, is a career politician and her voting record clearly supports big government, high taxes, and progressive social policies. While I respect her many years of service, I believe she is simply wrong on several important issues.

Regarding parental rights, she voted to allow students to hide gender dysphoria from their parents and against requiring parental review of sexually explicit material. I believe parents know what is best for their children and should be at the head of the table. Notification is required to go on a field trip or provide an aspirin — shouldn’t schools provide notification for a major issue like dysphoria?

Another critical difference is our disagreement on male students competing in female sports and using female locker rooms. I believe while we should show compassion and protect transgender students from bullying and harassment, we need to do in a way that is fair and safe. Males should not compete against girls — it’s not fair; and they should not use female locker rooms — it’s not safe. I don’t want the Loudon County Public Schools incident repeated in Arlington (or anywhere).

Regarding abortion, I am pro-life and support reasonable legislation like Governor Youngkin's proposal to restrict abortion after 15 weeks, except for situations involving rape, incest, or if the health of the mother is in danger. This respects every human life and provides protection for unborn babies and their mothers. Unborn babies in the later weeks of pregnancy can feel pain and abortions after that point do cause them horrific pain as they are killed. The extremist agenda of Virginia Democrats, including my opponent, includes allowing abortion all the way up to the point of birth.

Regarding the economy, I support free-market policies that provide every Virginian with the freedom to determine their own economic outcomes and prosper accordingly. Taxes are too high, and Virginia’s tax brackets haven’t changed since 1990. Brackets should be indexed to inflation, which by the way continues to outpace wages and reduces our buying power. My opponent is for bigger government and higher taxes, while I believe our legislature should incentivize business development by lowering corporate (and personal) taxes; promoting cheap, abundant, and reliable energy; and removing excessive regulation.

What makes representing Arlington in the state Senate unique compared to senators who represent other parts of Virginia?

I believe Arlington’s close proximity to Washington D.C. and our collective employment at a multitude of government-related jobs translates to a higher percentage of residents who are interested in the political process. This creates a unique environment for the deliberation of new ideas and policies, and one that I hope isn’t so partisan that we can’t listen to each other. I also believe Arlingtonians are not unique in that we want what every Virginian and American desires — the freedom to live and prosper in a safe community. That’s why my top three priorities are to improve Education, Cost of Living, and Crime.

What are some of the concerns and ideas that you've heard from Arlingtonians that have resonated with you as you have campaigned that you will bring to Richmond if elected in November?

I’ve heard fellow Arlingtonians on both sides of the aisle express concern for all three of my top priorities. Parents are frustrated that our schools were one of the last in the country to re-open after COVID, driving a real loss of learning that is reflected in the lowest 4 th and 8 th grade math and reading scores in over 20 years. They’re frustrated that our schools focus on DEI and CRT at the expense of basic education, and they’re upset with policies that minimize girls’ safety and rights. They’re tired of high gas prices and grocery bills that are up 27% since 2020. And finally, I’ve heard several citizens say they no longer feel safe to walk alone in their neighborhoods due to crime, which has risen every year since the 2020 “Defund the Police” movement and was up again in 2022 by 18%.

Describe other issues that define your campaign platform for Senate.

I am Pro 2nd Amendment. I will oppose all gun bans, including those on semi-automatic rifles, affordable handguns, and standard capacity magazines. I support fully funding our law enforcement and increasing the size of the force (Arlington is short 100 law enforcement officers). I also support fully prosecuting offenders of gun crimes. The societal problems we face from gun violence are associated with criminal gun violence. The vast majority of lawful gun owners will not harm themselves or others with their firearms.

I would repeal the 2021 "Clean Car" law that ties Virginia to California's mandates for electric cars (100% electric by 2035). Electric cars on average cost $10,000 more than gas-powered cars —this law hurts middle and lower-income consumers the most. Additionally, it removes our freedom to purchase the vehicle of our choice.

I would also repeal the 2020 "Clean Economy Act," which mandates 100% of electricity production from renewable sources by 2045/2050. This will cause much higher electricity prices ($800/month for the average family) and higher gas prices, with miniscule benefit to the environment. Additionally, the wind/solar/battery technology and infrastructure simply isn't available to support this arbitrary plan, and wind and solar simply aren't reliable sources of energy. Abundant, affordable, reliable energy — most of it now and in the foreseeable future provided by burning fossil fuels — is indispensable to lifting and keeping people out of poverty.

I believe a safe and fair election is one that is easy to vote and hard to cheat. With that in mind and specific to Virginia, I would require photo ID for in-person voting, improve scrutiny of voter registration lists and verification of citizenship, remove vote harvesting, and restrict same-day registration. I voted for most of my 24-year military career via Mail-In ballot. If done correctly, it can be a safe and secure method of voting. However, there need to be stringent safeguards in place to protect the integrity of mail-in ballots. Mail-in voting should be limited to people who cannot make it to their neighborhood polling places on Election Day, such as because they are sick, physically disabled, or serving the country abroad, or because they cannot make it to the polls for some other legitimate reason.

The best advice ever shared with me was …

I love the wisdom in the Bible, so I’ll choose two short companion verses that both humble me and give me hope for salvation. Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

I am a Christian and my faith is important to me, driving me to a civic duty of serving my community. I realize my odds of winning as a Republican in Arlington are not high, but I’m hopeful that each of you will consider my policy positions, do your own research, and then participate by voting. Thank you for reading my biography and feel free to contact me through my website at https://henshaw4va.com or by email at info@henshaw4va.com.

RELATED: 2023 Candidate Profile: Barbara Favola Running For Senate District 40